Archives for: January 2001, 02

I am new to all this but have noticed an apparent contradiction in the Type O diet. O's must avoid ground black and white pepper, yet several of the recipes in BTD specify large amounts of black pepper-e.g 1.5 tsp in Kifta, 1 tsp in Baked Fish. Similarly, Vanilla Essence is listed as an AVOID, yet 1tsp is listed for Carob Chip Cookies& Maple Walnut Granola. Is there a listing for all errors, corrections or recent findings somewhere, please? Many thanks Sue

Hi, Sue! Welcome!! Os must indeed avoid commercial ground black pepper, as it is likely to have a high mold content. However, whole black peppercorns used in a pepper grinder are fine! A tiny bit of vanilla extract will not do much harm, but a nut extract such as almond, walnut or hazelnut is preferred for type O.

You have a keen eye for avoids in recipes, which is a definite advantage. We are advised to check ALL recipes, ALL ingredients of all products, no matter where we find them. Good work, Sue!! and do write again! :-D

Hi Heidi, I was enjoying one of my favorite treats when I read Patti's AB n/s lament re: limited sweets (5/1). So here's my recipe: Chocolate Velvet Pudding: 2 12oz pkgs of silken Tofu (I use one "firm" and one "soft"), 1/2c unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4c maple syrup (or veg. glycerin + maple extract), 1.5 TBS molasses, 1 TBS vanilla. Blend until smooth and creamy. Spoon into dishes. Enjoy right away, or refrigerate for later. Just having a small 1/4c of this satisfies my need for a treat. (Actually, sometimes, I just get a spoonful from the fridge and continue on my way.) And it's from the bean category! Adjust sweeteners to personal preference. (I once ran out of maple syrup and used molasses only, it was great.) If we go to a friend's house for dinner, I bring my own dessert. Donna in CA

Donna, that sounds absolutely wonderful! ;-) Now if only I could figure out how to make tofu from black beans or pintos... *sigh!* Thanks for the offering, dear, and have a lovely!! :-D

Hi Heidi - I've done a search but didn't find it, so if this is a repeat question please forgive me! I am a B non-secretor. I have a 17 month old who is a type O. She was having trouble with ear infections, but when I took her off of all dairy and wheat, it really seems to have helped. My question is: should I assume she is a secretor and follow that diet for her? I didn't know if secretor status could possibly be hereditary? I ask this because I have been using spelt flour whenever baking, and I just realized that if she is a non-secretor, it would be an avoid for her. One more question while I have you! Is there an age limit for the protocols in the Encyclopedia? If her ear infections continue, I was looking at the immunity protocol, but I would be a little nervous about giving her herbs, etc. at such a young age. Thanks! Lisa

Hello, Lisa! Good question. Secretor status is hereditary, indeed. The only way we'd know which one she is right now is if we knew that her Dad is a nonsecretor. Then we'd be 99.99% certain that she is a nonsecretor, also. If you don't have that information, then the safest way to proceed is to avoid both the nonsecretor AND secretor avoids, and give her only the foods that are at least neutral for both.

For now, the diet should work just fine to keep her healthy, and I wouldn't start with herbals and supplements for her. There's no specific age limit for using the protocols, but since she's done well with simple dietary adjustments, that's the route I'd go. If she gets no wheat and no dairy, I think you'll find she'll have no further ear infections at all. Thanks for writing, Lisa, and I wish you and her the very best of health!! :-D

Since I read your column every day, I have a few questions: 1. If chocolate is a neutral, and sugar is neutral (except for non-secretors), why should we look for substitutes - such as the vegetable glycerin? 2. Does following the diet preclude a need for digestive enzymes (that the HFS suggested to me.) 3. Has Peter every done a study on the reason some people do well on certain types of diets? Such as - friends that do well on the Atkins diet or Sugar Busters Diet tend to be type O. Or a couple on the Carbohydrate Addicts diet - the wife (type O), did very well, the husband (type A) failed miserably? People who do well on Weight Watchers may tend to be type A? These are very isolated, broad assumptions on my part - just wondered if anyone else has noticed a trend? 4. Someone recently wrote about exercise for a protruding gut. There is a yoga pose I was taught recently. My instructor said that often our organs prolapse, and there is a "smile" underneath our belly button. The pose is to lay on the floor with leg flat on the floor, and that foot propped firmly against a door frame. Hold the other leg at a 90 degree angle with your hands behind your knees - head elevated. (Don't stretch the elevated leg - just raise it). Hold the pose for 60 seconds on each side. This should firm up these internal organs and put them back in place. I feel like I have this organ problem from too many years of being constipated from wheat and corn. It's an easy excercise and I hope to see some results. (Maybe someone else knows the name for this pose.) Amber

Hello, Amber! Thanks for the yoga suggestion!

Vegetable glycerine is not a necessity for O secretors. I suggest it to nonsecretors, for the most part. It's also extremely helpful with sugar cravings and weight loss. And digestive enzymes are recommended only if one has digestive difficulty with certain new foods.

:-D I don't know of an official study per se, but Os would naturally do better on a high-animal-protein diet than As would do -- and wouldn't thrive at all on a grain-heavy diet, whereas most type As and ABs could do better on it at least for a time. It just seems like common sense to me, having been with this plan for so long. The nice thing about it is, the BTD brings it all together for everyone... while addressing issues the other plans don't even take into account. ;-) thanks for writing in, dear! :-D

Heidi thank you again and again Some good things to report from this end and then one question. I now have confirmed that I am indeed an A+ blood type. So far I've lost 4# and some inches - for me that's good. I purchased the Cook Right book this weekend and look forward to using some recipes to spice things up for us. Speaking of food, perhaps one reason the weight was so slow is because I had been using WAY too much of the bread/grain/cereals. I had it in my mind that I could consume more than I should & being a carb. lover, this seemed like heaven. Alas, this week I'll eat the correct amounts. You have given out the receipe for the wonder working chicken soup/broth. Since my husband is a B and chicken is an avoid for him, does this have the same miracle properties if we use turkey? Bless you for your work and caring Sandy

AH! Thanks for reporting in, Sandy! It's great news that you've found an area of your diet to adjust, and that you're seeing steady results now! Congratulations, dear!! :-D

Yes, you can make the "miracle" broth from turkey instead -- and it's just as good! If I don't make broth right away, I save the bones of birds & beasts in a heavy plastic bag in the freezer. A mix will do just as well as one single type of bones, and the freezing process doesn't hurt anything at all. Enjoy, and keep writing, Sandy! :-D

Heidi, a reader asked if the Mayans used lime to make corn safer to eat. Corn contains niacin, but too much corn can cause a niacin (vitamin B-3)deficiency,

known as pellagra. Corn processed in a solution of lime (used to make certain kinds of tortillas) can help to increase niacin absorption. Niacin is necessary for healthy skin tissue, the nervous system, tongue health, the digestive system and blood circulation, low cholesterol levels and low blood pressure. Too much niacin from supplements can cause skin rashes, liver damage and peptic ulcers.

Lots of foods besides corn contain niacin, and of course, vitamin capsules contain B-3. Sounds like the Mayans understood the lime/corn/niacin connection, but didn't fully understand the other problems corn can cause. Kim

Quite true!! Thanks for that information, Kim -- you are very sweet to take time to post it here! much appreciated!! :-D

Hi Heidi, a suggestion for Ann who couldn't get the lamb from the shopping cart to the cash register--I have found that buying a whole leg of lamb and having the butcher cut it into 3/4 inch steaks and then grilling them or broiling them is an easy and tasty way to eat lamb, not to mention money saving. The extra steaks I freeze in a single layer on a baking pan till frozen, then pop them into a freezer container so I can have individual servings. The leg of lamb is less fatty and the flavor is better in my opinion. Also, I have found ground lamb which I make into burger sized patties. I brown them and then make a brown gravy (all O.K. ingredients) with mushrooms and onions, and a splash of red wine and they are delicious. My kids even like them. Suzanna

Hey there, Suzanna ~~ Your sage advice reminds me that when I first began the O diet, there was NO WAY I was going to face down a big bloody steak. I steeled myself and bought ground meat, and made stir-fries with lots of vegetables. It took a significant psychological adjustment just to face that meal ;-> so I do completely understand what people go through in this regard.

Folks, don't hesitate to get out there and find a responsive and responsible butcher. Sometimes they're hiding in plain sight. They might be sitting on a stool behind the door in the meat section of your supermarket, wondering if ANYONE will ever ring that tiny bell on the counter and ask them to do anything. They're lonely! Chat them up, get to know them! I say this because you'll learn a lot, and they'll be a great resource and a very good friend to your health and your budget. You don't have to just take what's sitting out in the "meat boat," you can get any cut of meat ground, deboned, filleted, tied, fixed any way you like it. Not to mention advice on how (and how long) to cook something, if you're not familiar with it. And don't forget special orders! :-D You never know when you might have a hankering for grilled sleeve-boned quail, or a crown roast for Christmas.

I spent at least a year going back to my old neighborhood butcher (1 1/2 hours round trip on the subway) because I hadn't bestirred myself to see what was right around the corner from me. Well, when I finally woke up, there he was, waiting for me: Bob, a genius and a love and a man who effortlessly produces whatever I want or need -- right around that corner. A thoroughly good fellow, by the way, and someone whom I now call my friend. He's even a classic car fan! HEY! You can't beat that! ~:-D

OK, enough gushing over my butcher. But be advised, a Bob (or Roberta)-the-butcher may be waiting for you ... and closer than you think. ;->

I have to say that I deeply, deeply appreciate your posting those ideas here for Ann, Suzanna, and this goes for everyone who reaches out to help with others' difficulties. Such a gracious gift~ It just makes me VERY happy, 'nuff said! :-D

Dear Heidi, Thanks for being a wonderful resource and support. Love your column! I am writing in response To Rachel. I am a 58 year old, O negative, secretor NN. When I gave up all grains and starches (I was only eating acceptable ones for the last three years but more than twice than the recommended servings per week) I went through a similar withdrawl to Rachel. On the fifth day it was extremely bad. I literally had the shakes, severe anxiety and terrible tiredness. I tested whether it was truly the grains by eating some rice and the symptoms immediately were gone. I continued without grains and starches over the next five weeks during which my lethargy and anxiety slowly diappeared. It was hard to think and to function. I used exercise and acupuncture to ease the symptoms. I am about to start the metabolism protocol so will let you how it goes. My acupuncturist later told me that the fifth day is often the worst in withdrawl. The results have been amazing. My life-long anxiety, compulsive eating, and the dark circles around my eyes disappeared. I lost bloat and weight which have been most apparent in my shoe size and my face. People tell me I look much younger, "brighter," and healthier. I have also lost a recent tendency to incontinence. Rachel, you can do it. It's worth it!!! Karen

WHOO-HOO!!! Karen, that's a MARVELOUS report, and I thank you SO MUCH for sharing it with all of us!

It's very useful advice you're offering to Rachel, as there are many of us who experience these kinds of withdrawal symptoms and feel utterly confused as to what may be causing them. Sometimes the only way to the sunshine is through the darkness. I've found that the worse the withdrawal symptoms are, the more vital it is to eliminate the food(s) one is trying to eliminate. Just get through it however you can, so that you don't have to face that process ever again!

Karen, I look forward to hearing how the metabolism protocols work for you -- Congratulations on your learning, and your progress! Do keep in touch, and thanks again!! ~:-D